Wednesday 6 May 2015

IWSG - Insecure Writer's Support Group for 6th may 2015

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.se/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html


Anna Nordeman


IWSG - Insecure Writer's Support Group for 6th May 2015

This is my twenty-third post for IWSG. 

Looking for my A-to-Z-REFELCTIONS-post? Click here.

 
Writing by hand, longhand, handwriting



I don't know where March and April have gone. I did the A to Z, but I may never do it again, as I have a hard time committing to blogging every single day. I think I only have time for the IWSG once a month, as I think I may have found a part time job. So what am I going to write about for IWSG for the beautiful month of May? Handwriting. 

For several months now I have been trying to go back to writing by hand on paper. I used to write in longhand every single day. But so far, I have not succeeded very well. 

The idea of this post was to be the importance of writing notes by hand and not just dashing things down at the keyboard. But I have spent so much time doing other things, such as helping my daughter and making repairs at home, that I have not written much at all, neither at the keyboard or by hand in a notebook. My mind is full of ideas and first sentences, that have not been recorded in any way or form. This makes me feel  frustrated and worried. I may have let many good ideas and observations just slip away forever.




 
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Of course, being historically-minded, I often think about the development of documentation,




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that is, how people have been able to write down their thoughts with pencil, quill and ink ink, ballpoint pen, typewriter and now a full array of electronic devices.




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I first thought of posting about handwriting when reading K.M. Weiland's book, Outlining your novel, and found the keywords 'longhand, writing' in her index. 


In no other how-to-write manual have I found handwriting as a topic for discussion in any book for writer-hopefuls. It is as if the younger generation seems to have forgotten how to write in longhand. But there is was, a chapter about the good qualities and usefulness of using a pencil on paper for recording thoughts.



For more information


K.M. Weiland's arguments (see page 38) for writing longhand in the beginning of the outlining process are that writing longhand:

¤ Discourages the tendency to censor or edit.
¤ Brings writing down to a primal level.
¤ Provides a change of pace.
¤ Frees imagination by allowing sloppiness.
¤ Frees us from distractions.
¤ Allows a critical editing during transcription.
¤ Gives us an instant hard copy.


I think I'll break out my pens and pencils and start writing on paper again!


Best wishes,
Anna











First Commenter:

XXX




Monday 4 May 2015

Reflections on the 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge (4th to 8th May)

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2015/05/2015-to-z-blogging-challenge-reflections.html


Reflections on the 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge

Anna Nordeman








For those who missed my post for 'S' is for Solros-Sunflower, here is one of my sunflower pictures of my daughter, Elisabet, for Tina Downey, that I could not find in time for the 'A Sunflower for Tina'-post: 

Click here to see more




















Whew! 

The April Challenge was almost too much for me. Sometimes, I regretted signing on. Not because of all of you wonderful people participating, no, because of me. I just did not have enough time to do it as well as all of the things that I should and must do. I needed and need to get my off-line-life in better order. 

Being the promise-keeper that I am, I did actually complete the challenge, but it cost me time that I should have used to do other things. So, as I mentioned on my IWSG-post for May, I will restrict my postings to my monthly rants for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. I like writing about one thing, once a month. I am sorry to say that that will be all the blogging I will be able to muster for the foreseeable future.

Having said all of this, I don't want anyone to interpret my comment as a criticism of the A to Z Challenge. It's wonderful! I don't want you to change it. I just cannot keep up with it; at least not right now. I have an ex-husband who will sue me for sole child-custody at the drop of a hat. He has tried to do so twice.  And happily for me, he has failed twice. (The latest time that I was in court about this was on 31st March -- the day before the April Challenge!) I let my son move to live with his father last fall, but I am still my son's guardian. My daughter still lives with me thanks to a very good lawyer and a fair judge.

I don't like being divorced. I goes against my grain. I still believe in love, marriage and fidelity. But after 19 years with a tyrant, I just could not take any more. I felt like a prisoner in my own home. No matter what I tried, nothing worked. 

So the last four years I have been picking up the pieces of my former life. I know now that I need to focus on fewer tasks and do them better. My children still need me. They are growing up all too quickly.

I don't know about next year's A to Z. I don't want to make promises I may not be able to keep.

But I have no complaints about the A to Z Challenge-team. I am happy for the friends and  acquaintances that I have made through this challenge. I'll try to keep in touch.


Best wishes,
Anna











First Commenter:

Taanya Walton
of
Allotments4you


http://www.allotments4you.com/




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